Cat and Dog Grooming in Winter
Updated: Mar 20, 2020
When it comes to your cat or dog, grooming in winter plays a very important role in helping your furry companion maintain healthy skin, nails and coat. In this post, PetGazette advertisers share their expertise about the importance of maintaining your companion’s grooming needs in winter.
A Groom With A View, Jamie Roper
Outside and inside dogs need grooming. If inside, they can get “the doggie smell.” If outside, long coats mat and the snow or mud can stick to their underbellies.
A Dog’s Day Out, Beth Koller
Grooming is a year-round process. Longer fur has a greater chance of developing mats and tangles. Matts do not allow for proper airflow through the coat and this can lead to health problems. Pet skin can become dry and flaky (itchy) due to a lack of humidity. Shampooing, conditioning and brushing can help stimulate the natural oils to ease the dryness.
Chrissy’s VIPets, Chrissy Nolan
Grooming on a consistent basis is more cost-effective in the long run. If not groomed in the winter, your companion will develop mats in his/her coat which are so painful to remove that we don’t do it. The dog would have to be shaved down completely.
Cat Care Clinic, Dr. Karel Carnohan
There are specific grooming solutions for different conditions, one of which is a Lion Cut, for uncontrollable or uncomfortable matted fur or a cat who suffers from extreme hairball issues.
Canine Shear Heaven, Kim Slagle
Feeling clean is part of our pets’ mental health! In grooming, we often notice problems first, such as bumps, sores or red skin. Both mats in the winter and a shave-down in the spring damage the internal thermostat. Untrimmed nails cause balance problems.
Calling All Cats, Kim Burress
Cats shed. Outdoor cats tend to shed hair in the spring. Indoor cats, on the other hand, shed year-round because they are not exposed to the changing temperatures. If you want to control shedding during the winter months, it is beneficial to have your cat professionally groomed.
Canine Crown n Glory, Kelly Swann
Fleas are around all year, and the skin gets very dry just like ours. It’s important to soothe that dry skin. Other problems are nails and mats in the coat which need upkeep in winter to avoid spring problems.
Dog Oasis, Randi Brodsky
It’s very important to keep the dog’s nails trimmed in winter. I’ve seen dogs come in here in spring with the nails actually turned under the feet; imagine how hard it is for them to walk comfortably, or safely on some floors, ice or snow.
K-9 Klips, Carol Bratz
A matted coat actually loses insulation, so when the dog goes outside he’ll be colder, not warmer, in winter, especially if he gets wet. Winter grooming, even just a brush-out, removes the mats.
Sunshine Dog House, Amy Golden
If mats are not removed regularly, sores and redness can develop on the skin. If toenails are not clipped, the nail can actually grow into the pad or if left too long can cause difficulty walking. Regular ear cleaning can help fight off some infections.